At just fifteen years old, Bibi Butorin has been away from home in Prague since last spring. Her mother, Alsu Kurmasheva, an American-Russian journalist, is currently detained in Russia. Bibi expressed, "My mom is definitely my biggest inspiration. And I just miss her, like, more than I can possibly say. And I worry about her safety so much."
She shared that her family was aware of the risks involved when her mom traveled to Russia: "But she was only going to go for two weeks, and it was for my sick grandmother."
With Alsu detained, Pavel Butorin has taken on the role of a single dad. Both girls hold U.S. citizenship like their mom. "She is in jail in Russia because she is an American citizen, and because she's a journalist," Pavel explained. "And it seems like the Russian government is just building more cases against her."
Kurmasheva's pre-trial detention was extended until April 5. She's facing charges of failure to self-register as a foreign agent, and disseminating false information about the Russian army, which could mean prison sentences of up to five and ten years, respectively.
Kurmasheva is listed as an editor on a book, "Saying No to War," featuring stories of everyday people who oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "I know that this book is a problem; it's featured in her case file," said Pavel. "There is nothing incendiary, nothing criminal about these stories. There's no calls for violence in the book. It's just opinions – not even Alsu's opinions. But as a journalist, she certainly has the right to collect and publish any opinions."
Steve Capus is RFE/RL's president. "When freedom of expression is being shut down in one place after another after another, when the lights are turned out in one place, we turn them back on," he said. "Our place is committed to the fundamental practice of accurate journalism where it might not otherwise be practiced these days."
That puts his journalists at risk.
"The situation has a way of gripping your attention and highlighting the high stakes involved – we must never forget that these individuals need to come home," expressed Capus.
Doane inquired, "Alsu is not a name many Americans are familiar with. Why do you think that is?"
"It really should be," replied Capus. "President Biden mentioned her by name at the end of December. We are all leveraging our connections to bring as much awareness to her case as possible."
Jodie Ginsberg, who leads the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York, described Kurmasheva's situation as "extremely concerning."
She noted that since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the detention of journalists has become more frequent. "New regulations have been implemented that severely restrict reporting on the conflict," Ginsberg explained. "Simply referring to it as a war could result in a prison term."
"In my opinion, this is a clear indication of the decline in democracy that we have witnessed over the years," expressed Ginsberg.
Out of the 17 foreign journalists currently detained globally, 12 are held captive in Russia. Ginsberg condemned this as "state-sponsored hostage-taking." She explained, "When a journalist is arrested, especially one with foreign nationality like Alsu and Evan, there are dual consequences: a political prisoner for potential negotiation with the U.S., and a stern warning to all journalists that their presence is not tolerated."
While the U.S. has labeled Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained," Kurmasheva has not received the same designation yet. The State Department, in response to "Sunday Morning," expressed being "deeply concerned" about Kurmasheva's imprisonment and is actively working to secure access to her. They mentioned that they are "constantly assessing the circumstances surrounding the detentions of U.S. citizens abroad."
Ginsberg emphasized, "When an individual, especially a U.S. citizen, is identified as 'wrongfully detained,' it attracts more government resources to their case. It is crucial that we raise awareness about Kurmasheva's situation just as much as Evan's. The liberation of both of them, along with all other unjustly imprisoned journalists, is imperative."
Efforts to raise Kurmasheva's profile are underway, from a billboard in Times Square, to a group of friends gathering at a Prague restaurant.
Todd Benson, from Seattle, said Pavel Butorin and his girls are showing a great face since Alsu's detention: "But I think, deep down, they're hurting."
And that hurt surfaced while Pavel was reading a note his wife sent from jail: "Celebrate freedom and love, Alsu."
Declaring her "wrongfully detained" is up to the U.S. government. Ultimately, Alsu Kurmasheva's fate is to be decided by the Russians. So, for now, Pavel tries to control what he can. "I need to keep it together," he said. "I don't want emotion to get involved."
Doane said, "I think anyone would understand being emotional…"
"Maybe that's what they want – maybe they want us to break down and surrender and give up," said Pavel. "I'm not going to give up. We will not rest until we see Alsu here with her family at home."
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Story produced by Julie Kracov and Duarte Dias. Editor: Carol Ross.
See also:
- Breaking through Russia's digital Iron Curtain ("Sunday Morning")
